Did you really think I'd let you drown?
by CuteMcBeauty
Summary: A small twist that might have made a big plot difference: Emma and Hook go to find Zelena, and someone winds up drowning. Based on 3X20. ONE SHOT.


"I think it's because you can see a future here… a happy one." He said kindly, begging, almost praying for a kinder reaction from her. He really didn't know why she was always so rude, but he did suspect it had more to do with her unyielding fear of trust than because he had failed to tell her about his curse.

And New York was an enticing, alluring possibility for a chronic runner such as herself. This guy meant business… and it was scary.

She turned her head to him with a petulant smirk on her face. "Let me guess… with you?" she chuckled, as if the mere notion of a life in love with him were so terrible.

It ached Killian in places he didn't even know he had inside his soul. He knew it was a defense mechanism on her part; he knew that, if push came to shove, she'd stand by him, if only because he was one of the team. He didn't dare consider the thought that she might actually have even a mild quantity of feelings for him. Maybe she cared. That was about it. Every single hero in this town, even those he had fought shoulder to shoulder with, had made it perfectly clear, that he was merely a pirate and nothing else, not a man, not a hero, not a human worth her love.

Only a filthy, cheating, lying pirate.

Still, he clung to hope. Maybe… maybe one day…

"Awww, the two of you are so adorable!" Came that cold voice from Zelena's lips as she approached, flanked by the shadowy figure of Mr. Gold, who looked as downtrodden as he probably felt after the death of his only son… and the incapability of at least smacking his captor around the face. "But instead of looking for each other, maybe you should be focused on me, although…" she stopped, smirking at Emma. "…without magic, that could prove to be a challenge."

"The next time you try to take my magic, why don't you try enchanting the lips of someone I'll actually kiss?" Emma spat back at her, knowing well Killian would likely feel the tail-end of her whipping remark. And she was right. She saw from the corner of her eye how Killian licked his lips and rolled his eyes, aching.

She felt a small pang of regret before once again staring defiantly at Zelena.

"Oh, your highness, no need to get so feisty!" Zelena smiled at her. "You see, I am merely doing the two of you a favor…"

"Really? How's that?" Emma grinned, pacing towards the witch.

Zelena chuckled. "Why, I am but a humble match maker in your tug of war match! I have been watching you two pathetic little star-crossed wannabe-lovers. Iv'e seen your cat-and-mouse game, Emma. I've followed each and every single footstep of this poor lovesick pirate of yours, and believe me, there is nothing he wouldn't do for you, why…" she turned her eyes to Killian, still smiling. "He yearns for that kiss more than anything in the world but adores you too much to even think of it. So much, in fact, that his foiled attempt at protecting your boy backfired terribly…"

"Aye…" Killian sneered at her. "Because unlike you, Zelena… I know a thing or two about good form."

"Oh, my dear Captain, I agree with you… wholeheartedly." Zelena agreed with a swift movement of her head. "But here's the thing: You are a man who pines for a woman he believes will never give him the time of day… and you, Princess…" She turned to Emma as she paced towards them. "Are a woman who is so terribly afraid to acknowledge what she feels, she'd sooner run away from this man than to accept and embrace the notion that, as he claims, there is a happy future for the two of you… together."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're delusional…."

"Am I?" She grinned, near a whisper. "Well, let's find out." She wrinkled her nose. She turned her face to the captain. "So, Mr. Jones… you failed to do as you were told…"

"Not '_failed_', love. I told you. I'd never do it." Hook replied with equal sass.

Zelena chuckled. "Well… it seems you'll have to choose now. You can save the woman and make her lose her power, which will make you so, so sad, or you can prove to me… and her, just how right she is when she claims we're…'delusional', and just let her die…." She chuckled again and turned to her slave. "Rumple?"

Emma had no time to reach or even conjure enough magic to protect herself; She was still an amateur in that department, even if her potential was there. In less than a second she was flying through the air and falling face first into the farm's cistern, held down by the hand of the Dark One, who sneered in deep regret at the unavoidable nature of his actions.

"EMMA!" He shouted and ran to her, trying hard to dislodge her from her watery torment, as she splashed and struggled herself for a breath of air. But it seemed the harder they both tried, the tougher the invisible barrier became. Killian turned a desperate, pleading look to Rumplestiltskin; the wizard had seen that look before, when he had crushed Milah's heart.

It seemed fate would forever have him taking away the Captain's loved ones… and this time, he hated it.

"Try all you like…" Zelena laughed. "You can't free her…"

And three seconds after she said that, Emma stopped moving; the bubbles from her efforts were no longer emerging to the surface… Only her hands, pale and with purplish fingernails, floating at either side of her head.

And Zelena and Rumple disappeared through a green cloud of thick smoke.

As soon as the force of Rumple's magic had waned, Killian pulled her out by the shoulders, and laid her gently on the ground.

"Oh, no no no…" He panted. "Emma… EMMA!" He shook her desperately. "Emma, please!" he cleared the hair from her face, her lips purple and her eyelids shut. "Emma, wake up!" he caressed her cheek. "Come back to me, love, please, PLEASE!"

Her head bobbed and turned with every agitated rattle of his hands… but not a breath came from her nostrils or lips.

"Argh!" Killian growled, running his one hand through his hair. "Bloody hell!"

He knew that if he didn't do this, she'd die.

And if he did it, they'd all die.

She'd hate him…

Or he'd hate himself for the rest of his brief existence.

As far as he thought, she already hated him, anyway, even when he loved her more than the precious air he was breathing and she was not. So the choice was easy.

He leaned in and pinched her nose gently. "I'm sorry, Emma… I'm so, so sorry…" he whispered to her before pressing his mouth to her gaping lips and delivering a single blow of air, hoping that would get the much needed movement of her lungs back on track.

A white flash of light enveloped the two as the magic left every cell in her body.

He now held her face between his hand and his hook, studying in angst every inch of it, waiting for a murmur, a shudder, a breath, anything at all. "Emma… Swan, love, please, come back to me…" He whispered on the brink of tears, caressing her cheek.

Not three seconds later, the gurgling, gagging sound stemming from her trachea was followed by her turning her head to the side and regurgitating the water in her lungs with painful, heaving coughs. He held her, gently pressing between her chest cavity and her back, to help her expel the fluid, while he felt life come back to his own heart; relief washed over him like a tide.

She lived. She breathed. She was alive.

She turned back to him and blinked to the sight of anguished blue eyes. "Hook…." She managed to say between gags. "What did you do?"

"I… I couldn't let you die…love…. " He spoke, broken and nearly in tears. "I'm so sorry Swan."

She returned his gaze, trying hard to catch her breath. "Y… you're sorry… you saved my life?" She coughed and grinned. "I'd have done the same for you."

She didn't hate him…. That was a relief.

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"Never thought I'd see one of those…"

She knew she'd never get tired of the velvety sound of that voice as she turned from the picture-perfect scenario of her parents embracing her newly born baby brother. The smirk on her face was priceless. "It's called a baby." She nodded, as she approached him.

He shook his head. "No, swan." He grinned. "A smile."

"We won." She affirmed, staring warmly at the face of the man who saved her life… again.

She felt a breathing sigh leave her nose as she turned her face to the ground sheepishly. "With all the chaos, Hook, I never got a chance to say thank you."

Killian took three steps towards her, a tender grin plastered on his face. "Do you really think I'd have let you go asunder, Swan? Let you drown?"

She shrugged shyly. "Given the history of emotional abuse I've been putting you through, can you blame me for being uncertain?"

He chuckled and mused her hair with his hook. "Know this: No matter what you do, what goes wrong in your life… how poorly you treat me…" he nodded once gently. "I'll be there. I have your back, love. Trust me."

She looked at him and smiled, lowering her head.

"Has your magic returned, now that Zelena's been defeated?" He enquired.

Emma stared into his eyes. "No." she replied swiftly.

He looked contrite. "I'm sorry… love."

"You saved my life. Nothing to be sorry about. Besides… I won't need it anymore."

Killian sighed and heaved slightly. He bit his lip and looked down. "Aye… because you don't need magic in New York…"

"I'm not going there…" She smiled at him.

He raised his eyes to her suddenly. "You're… not?"

"Why would I go to New York?" she sighed with a grin. "I'm already home." Killian could barely breathe at the sound of her words as he stared into her eyes. Emma looked over his shoulder at Henry who had stood up from the meeting room to get something from the vending machine. "Hey kid! You wanna come and meet your uncle?"

Henry smiled ear to ear and ran to her mother, both turning around and entering the private ward for her mother.

Killian swallowed as he stood by the door, looking at the tender family scene unfolding before his eyes, and after a complacent grin, he turned and started to walk away, when Emma turned her face. "Killian!"

The sound of his name from her lips startled him; he stopped and turned, full bodied, to her. "Swan?"

"You're not…coming to see the baby?" She frowned, looking to the door. The expectant comment made the whole Charming family turned a bewildered look at the pirate.

Killian's eyes rolled from Prince, to princess, to baby to boy to Swan, and he shrugged with a chuckle. "Well, I… I figured it was a family moment, so I'd… I'd just…"

"Yeah, precisely." David added.

Killian froze and swallowed a lump in his throat. Had David actually just stated that he was… family?

He'd never been in one… and seeing them all there huddled certainly did look appealing, all beautiful, picture perfect royal Charmings….

He grinned and scratched the back of his ear as he paced, self consciously, into the room. As soon as he reached Emma's side, she locked her arm around his and grinned, before returning her gaze to the little one. Hook prayed she'd not notice the look of bliss in his face as he smiled at the little royal. He reached out and touched the little blanket with his ringed finger, and felt Snow's hand over his, suddenly. He shot his eyes up at her and saw her smiling kindly up at his. "You saved our daughter…. And helped save our son. Of course you're family." She smiled fully.

He smiled back, unavoidably losing all bravado. "Thank you… highness."

They all settled for a quiet moment of peace as the babe finally turned his head to sleep…. And Hook inevitably felt his gaze tracing from the child to Emma and back to the child… and back to Emma.

He belonged…. And he knew what he wanted.

Seems that saving her had indeed been the right choice after all.


End file.
